Kanye West's Latest Album "Vultures 1" Disappears from Apple Music and iTunes
Kanye West's highly anticipated collaborative album with Ty Dolla $ign, "Vultures 1," has unexpectedly vanished from Apple Music and iTunes. The album, which was released on Saturday, had been dominating the streaming and sales charts. However, music distribution company FUGA has now announced that it is working to remove the album from its systems.
FUGA stated that a longstanding client had released "Vultures 1" through their automated processes, in violation of their service agreement. Billboard reported that FUGA had initially declined to release the album last year, citing West's history of antisemitic comments.
This recent controversy is not the first time that "Vultures 1" has faced criticism and legal threats. On Wednesday, Spotify removed the track "Good (Don't Die)" from the album after Donna Summer's estate accused West of "copyright infringement" for sampling her 1977 track, "I Feel Love," without permission. Similarly, Ozzy Osbourne tweeted on February 9th that West had used a sample of his 1983 performance of "Iron Man" in his new track, "Carnival," after being denied permission. Osbourne, who cited West's antisemitism as the reason for denying the sample, reportedly threatened legal action. As a result, the track was released without the sample.
The future of "Vultures 1" on other music platforms, including Spotify, remains uncertain. If Kanye West cannot resolve the situation with FUGA, he will likely need to find a new distributor. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, West accused streaming platforms of removing his music in an attempt to "limit our first week numbers."
Only time will tell if "Vultures 1" will reappear and if Kanye West can overcome these challenges in distributing his latest album.
Analyst comment
Neutral news. It is uncertain whether the album will reappear on Spotify and other platforms, as Kanye West may need to find a new distributor. Market impact depends on how West resolves the situation with FUGA and his ability to release the album through other channels.
